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The Big Brawl
The Big Brawl (Chinese: 殺手壕; lit. 'Killer's Trench', also released as Battle Creek Brawl) is a 1980 martial arts action comedy film which marked Jackie Chan's first attempt to break into the American movie Hollywood market. A joint Hong Kong and American co-production, it was directed by American filmmaker Robert Clouse and featured much of the crew from Enter the Dragon (1973), which was also produced by Golden Harvest Studios. The film also co-stars Mako, Kristine DeBell, and José Ferrer.
The film is set primarily in Chicago, Illinois in the 1930s (although it was shot in Texas) and follows Chan's character, a Chinese American martial artist, as he single-handedly takes on the Mafia, leading to a no-holds-barred street fighting tournament that culminates in a battle royale survival brawl.
While a moderate success in North America and Hong Kong, The Big Brawl was a box office disappointment as it performed below expectations in these markets, though it went on to have more success in other Asian and European markets. The film's disappointing performance in North America, however, led to Chan being advised to try supporting roles such as the Chinese racing car driver in The Cannonball Run. Chan later made another attempt to break into the American market with 1985's The Protector, which performed worse than this film. It was not until 1995 with Rumble in the Bronx that a Chan film showcasing his signature humor and stunt-work was a major hit in American theaters.
In 1930s Chicago, Chinese immigrant Jerry Kwan leads a very easy-going life with his white girlfriend, Nancy, and his family. His father owns a restaurant, and one day, he is threatened by the mob to pay a part of his profits. As the mob exits, Jerry enters the scene and rushes out the door to catch up with them. He answers back by taking them on and eventually catches the eye of the mob for his unique fighting skills, learned from his eccentric chiropractor uncle Herbert. Mobster boss Dominici has been looking for a fighter to defeat his rival Morgan's champion, Billy Kiss - whose trademark "Kiss of Death" finishing move is to kiss his opponents while killing them with a crushing bear hug.
Dominici's gang kidnaps Jerry's brother's fiancée to coerce Jerry into fighting for them in the Battle Creek Brawl, a no-rules, all-in street fighting tournament in Texas. The mob promises to return his brother's fiancée and give him the prize money as long as Jerry wins the tournament. After a failed rescue attempt, Uncle Herbert trains Jerry, concentrating on speed and agility as he must fight much larger and stronger opponents. Jerry, Herbert and Nancy travel to Battle Creek and, after surviving a massive battle royale elimination round and then winning a series of single combats, Jerry ultimately wins the Brawl by defeating Billy Kiss. The mob returns the kidnapped fiancée and all ends happily.
The Big Brawl was the first attempt to market Jackie Chan to a Western film audience. Though Chan was already a major star in East Asian markets, he remained a relative obscurity in North America, outside of the import market. Golden Harvest mogul Raymond Chow hoped to replicate the success of Bruce Lee, whom Chan was often compared to early on, in Enter the Dragon. To that end, he hired much of the same crew as Enter the Dragon, including director Robert Clouse, producer Fred Weintraub, musical composer Lalo Schifrin, and editor Peter Cheung.
In his autobiography I Am Jackie Chan, Chan said that he appeared in the film during a self-imposed exile in America, due to a dispute with director Lo Wei, who was purported to have Triad connections and had threatened him for breaking a contract. The dispute was eventually resolved through the intercession of Triad-linked actor Jimmy Wang Yu, and Chan resumed his Hong Kong career in 1982.
In the hopes of better acclimatizing Chan to an American film audience, Weintraub surrounded him with a wholly-American cast, including established actors like José Ferrer and Mako, Playboy Playmate Kristine DeBell, and The Godfather actor Lenny Montana. This backfired, as Chan's lack of English fluency and American cultural norms meant he struggled to find chemistry with his co-stars. Chan likewise did not have his usual stunt team present, meaning he had less control over the stunts and action scenes that he was accustomed to.
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The Big Brawl
The Big Brawl (Chinese: 殺手壕; lit. 'Killer's Trench', also released as Battle Creek Brawl) is a 1980 martial arts action comedy film which marked Jackie Chan's first attempt to break into the American movie Hollywood market. A joint Hong Kong and American co-production, it was directed by American filmmaker Robert Clouse and featured much of the crew from Enter the Dragon (1973), which was also produced by Golden Harvest Studios. The film also co-stars Mako, Kristine DeBell, and José Ferrer.
The film is set primarily in Chicago, Illinois in the 1930s (although it was shot in Texas) and follows Chan's character, a Chinese American martial artist, as he single-handedly takes on the Mafia, leading to a no-holds-barred street fighting tournament that culminates in a battle royale survival brawl.
While a moderate success in North America and Hong Kong, The Big Brawl was a box office disappointment as it performed below expectations in these markets, though it went on to have more success in other Asian and European markets. The film's disappointing performance in North America, however, led to Chan being advised to try supporting roles such as the Chinese racing car driver in The Cannonball Run. Chan later made another attempt to break into the American market with 1985's The Protector, which performed worse than this film. It was not until 1995 with Rumble in the Bronx that a Chan film showcasing his signature humor and stunt-work was a major hit in American theaters.
In 1930s Chicago, Chinese immigrant Jerry Kwan leads a very easy-going life with his white girlfriend, Nancy, and his family. His father owns a restaurant, and one day, he is threatened by the mob to pay a part of his profits. As the mob exits, Jerry enters the scene and rushes out the door to catch up with them. He answers back by taking them on and eventually catches the eye of the mob for his unique fighting skills, learned from his eccentric chiropractor uncle Herbert. Mobster boss Dominici has been looking for a fighter to defeat his rival Morgan's champion, Billy Kiss - whose trademark "Kiss of Death" finishing move is to kiss his opponents while killing them with a crushing bear hug.
Dominici's gang kidnaps Jerry's brother's fiancée to coerce Jerry into fighting for them in the Battle Creek Brawl, a no-rules, all-in street fighting tournament in Texas. The mob promises to return his brother's fiancée and give him the prize money as long as Jerry wins the tournament. After a failed rescue attempt, Uncle Herbert trains Jerry, concentrating on speed and agility as he must fight much larger and stronger opponents. Jerry, Herbert and Nancy travel to Battle Creek and, after surviving a massive battle royale elimination round and then winning a series of single combats, Jerry ultimately wins the Brawl by defeating Billy Kiss. The mob returns the kidnapped fiancée and all ends happily.
The Big Brawl was the first attempt to market Jackie Chan to a Western film audience. Though Chan was already a major star in East Asian markets, he remained a relative obscurity in North America, outside of the import market. Golden Harvest mogul Raymond Chow hoped to replicate the success of Bruce Lee, whom Chan was often compared to early on, in Enter the Dragon. To that end, he hired much of the same crew as Enter the Dragon, including director Robert Clouse, producer Fred Weintraub, musical composer Lalo Schifrin, and editor Peter Cheung.
In his autobiography I Am Jackie Chan, Chan said that he appeared in the film during a self-imposed exile in America, due to a dispute with director Lo Wei, who was purported to have Triad connections and had threatened him for breaking a contract. The dispute was eventually resolved through the intercession of Triad-linked actor Jimmy Wang Yu, and Chan resumed his Hong Kong career in 1982.
In the hopes of better acclimatizing Chan to an American film audience, Weintraub surrounded him with a wholly-American cast, including established actors like José Ferrer and Mako, Playboy Playmate Kristine DeBell, and The Godfather actor Lenny Montana. This backfired, as Chan's lack of English fluency and American cultural norms meant he struggled to find chemistry with his co-stars. Chan likewise did not have his usual stunt team present, meaning he had less control over the stunts and action scenes that he was accustomed to.